Traditional Chinese medicine herbs can help

While popping paracetamol helps, it is also important to understand what is causing your headaches.

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), headaches are symptomatic of root ailments that are not necessarily located in the head itself. Instead, headaches can arise from imbalances in other organ systems in the body.

Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic physician Yu Jiexin explained more.

Why do headaches occur?

According to TCM, the most general causes of headaches are either malnourishment or blockages/stasis, when external or internal factors impede the flow of meridians, disrupt nutrient supplies to the head and/or block the orifices.

That said, as TCM considers each patient a unique individual, the causes and precise details of headaches differ from person to person.

Headaches should be diagnosed and treated according to an individual's conditions, especially when it comes to chronic and recurrent headaches related to migraines, trauma or of a neurovascular origin.

When should someone seek medical attention?

If the pain disrupts your daily routine or if the headache is coupled with dizziness, blurred vision, numbness in the limbs and a sudden change in your movements or emotional state.

What are some common lifestyle causes of headaches?

Other pre-existing chronic conditions such as hypertension may also lead to headaches.

Who is most prone to getting headaches and why?

Studies have shown that women are more prone to headaches than men - migraines affect six times as many women as it does men. But the reason behind this is unclear.

There are certain groups of people who should be more aware of their symptoms.

For instance, headaches in women may be related to changes to their bodies during a menstrual cycle or pregnancy. The elderly or those with pre-existing conditions also need to take extra care if they develop a headache as it may be a sign of a more severe underlying medical condition.

What TCM remedies are there for headaches?

TCM recipes and treatments have to be administered according to an individual's conditions, so patients should seek medical advice from a licenced practitioner beforehand.

That said,these are the TCM ingredients generally used in headache treatments:

Migraines

Gastrodia tuber and gambir vine stem to calm the liver and subdue yang

Baical skullcap root and gardenia fruit to clear and purge fire in the liver

Achyranthes root to direct blood flow downwards

Eucommia bark and mulberry mistletoe to nourish the liver and kidney

Tuber fleeceflower stem and poria to nourish the heart and calm the spirit